White Superchute® sections are made from the same material as our Yellow High Molecular Weight Polyethylene.

HMWPE is resistant to abrasion, chemicals and cold weather. Clients in Alaska and other cold climates appreciate its low temperature impact resistance of -100 ºC (-156 ºF). In hot weather the plastic will become a little softer.

U-bolt assembly secures the cable assembly to the chute wall and permits chutes to link up

Working Load Limit is 1000 lb.

Breaking Strain is 10,000 lb. (Design Factor of 10:1)

Weight is 2 lb.

Notes

If your system will mix Superchute® sections with older and newer cable assemblies, install the sections with the older cable assemblies at the base of the system. This will put the stronger cable assemblies at the top of the system where they are most needed.

The Working Load Limit or WLL is the maximum load in pounds which should ever be applied to the component when the component is new or “in as new” condition and when the load is applied in direct tension to the component.

The Breaking Strain is the approximate load at which a new cable assembly will break when tested by applying direct tension to it at a uniform rate of speed in a testing machine. The breaking strain is obtained using a sample of cable assemblies.

The Design Factor is calculated by dividing the Breaking Strain by the Working Load Limit. It is also known as the Safety Factor.

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Regular & Door Sections

Working length: 40″ (pin to pin – see sketch)

Includes hook, 5/16″ dia. wire, 1/2″ dia U-bolt

Wire rope is safer, lighter and easier to handle than chain

Forged steel clip with gate. Strong and impossible to remove without cutting through cable

U-bolt assembly secures the cable assembly to the chute wall and permits chutes to link up

Working Load Limit is 1000 lb.

Breaking Strain is 10,000 lb. (Design Factor of 10:1)

Weight is 3 lb.

Notes

If your system will mix Superchute® sections with older and newer cable assemblies, install the sections with the older cable assemblies at the base of the system. This will put the stronger cable assemblies at the top of the system where they are most needed.

The Working Load Limit or WLL is the maximum load in pounds which should ever be applied to the component when the component is new or “in as new” condition and when the load is applied in direct tension to the component.

The Breaking Strain is the approximate load at which a new cable assembly will break when tested by applying direct tension to it at a uniform rate of speed in a testing machine. The breaking strain is obtained using a sample of cable assemblies.

The Design Factor is calculated by dividing the Breaking Strain by the Working Load Limit. It is also known as the Safety Factor.

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Wire Rope vs Chain

Why doesn’t Superchute® use chain?
For general construction rigging never use a chain when it is possible to use wire rope. The failure of a single link chain can result in a serious accident but wire rope on the other hand is frequently composed of 114 wires all of which must fail before the rope breaks.
Wire rope gives you reserve strength and a chance to notice a hazard, chains do not.

From The Rigging Manual, CSAO, 1996.

Cross section view of the 7 x 19 cable used by Superchute®

Great strength & safety results from using wire rope composed of many grouped wires. In fact, there are 133 wires total!

Chains are built from single links. Each link has to support the entire load alone. If a link fails you will likely lose the whole chute system with potentially fatal consequences.

Keep corrosive substances away from the cable assemblies & do not weld near the chute system

Note:
The above strengths and specifications apply only to new, undamaged cable assemblies that were manufactured in February 1999 or later. See below for new height & weight limit information for chute sections with older cable assemblies. Some types of damage may not be visible to the eye. Abuse or wear and tear will reduce the strength of the cable assembly.

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Case Example

Incident
A blockage occurred in a tall chute. The blockage went unnoticed and workers continued to introduce debris into the chute. The installers had calculated the weight of the unblocked chute to be 1500 lb. (680 kg).

Debris continued to accumulate in the chute until the blockage was finally discovered by the inattentive safety monitor. A crane was called in and the entire chute was lowered to the ground. The crane’s load indicator showed the total weight of the chute and blocked debris to be 15,000 lb. (6800 kg).

Upon inspection of the cable assemblies, no obvious signs of strain were noted. The chute sections were equipped with cable assembly pairs having a combined working load limit of 2000 lb. (900 kg). The breaking strain of the cable assembly pairs is 20,000 lb. (9000 kg).

Action
Although the cable assemblies showed no obvious sign of strain, the working load limits were greatly exceeded. All the cable assemblies should be replaced.

Conclusion
If, during the course of your job the working load limits of the cable assemblies are accidentally exceeded, consult a structural engineer and the Superchute® factory to determine whether the chute sections in that system must be refitted with new cable assemblies.

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Height & Weight Limits

Changes have been made to the cable assembly since earlier versions. If you do not understand which height & weight limit applies to your chute stock please contact Superchute®.

The following 3 limits are for chute sections equipped with the original cable assemblies. To verify when the section was manufactured check the date stamp on the chute sections.(1)

A chute section manufactured in Feb. 1999 or later and still equipped with original cable assemblies can carry a maximum of 60 sections (200 feet) or 2000 lb. of chute – whichever is reached first.(2)

A chute section manufactured between June 1996 and February 1999 and still equipped with original cable assemblies can carry a maximum of 30 sections (100 feet) or 1000 lb. of chute – whichever is reached first.(3) If you would like to be able to build a taller chute (up to the limits described in “A.” above), contact the factory for retrofitting of the cable assemblies.

If the chute section was manufactured prior to June 1996, and is still equipped with the original cable assemblies, it can carry a maximum of 15 sections (50 feet) or 500 lb. of chute**, whichever is reached first.(4)
These older cable assemblies feature lightweight metal alloy clips stamped with the words “KONG – BONAITI – ITALY”. The “KONG” clips are much weaker than the forged ones currently used. For this reason, chute sections with this clip on the cable assembly must only be used to build chute systems less than 50 feet in length or 500 lb. in weight (whichever is reached first). If you would like to be able to build a taller chute (up to the limits described above) contact the factory for retrofitting of the cable assemblies. The gate of the “KONG” clip must close fully. If the gate is not fully closed, its strength is greatly reduced.

Caution:

The above information applies to new undamaged cable assemblies working together in pairs

Do not mix and match with other chute brands – use the original Superchute® sections and parts only

Section weight is stamped onto every chute section since 1997

If you do not understand which height & weight limit applies to your chute stock please contact Superchute®

Notes:

(1) As of June 1996 the month and year of manufacture have been branded into every chute section. The month & year of manufacture is relevant only if the original cable assembly pair has not been upgraded or downgraded.

(2)(3)(4) Superchute® makes 6 chute diameters. Larger section sections are heavier and will reach the weight limit before the height limit. Before each installation calculate the precise weight of your chute system using the weight chart located in the chutes manual.